Melody-Selmer Ship Details and Seafarer Feedback

The United States Coast Guard has officially suspended its search operations for nine Cuban individuals who went missing in the waters about 26 miles southeast of Key West. This decision was made on July 9 at approximately 10:30 p.m., following extensive efforts to locate the missing castaways. Coast Guard personnel utilized both air and surface assets, undertaking multiple search patterns over the course of more than 192 hours, covering approximately 7,459 square miles in their quest to find the missing persons. The situation began on July 6, around 1:30 p.m., when the vessel 'Western Carmen' notified Sector Key West watchstanders about four people spotted in the water. Among the survivors, a total of 13 individuals were rescued, who had originally departed from Cuba with 22 people on board. Tragically, their vessel capsized at around 8 p.m. on July 5, leaving nine individuals unaccounted for. The survivors are currently being processed as migrants and are expected to be repatriated to Cuba as part of standard procedures.

On July 6, 2021, the 'Western Carmen' made a distress call to the Coast Guard in Key West at around 1:30 p.m., alerting them to four individuals found struggling in the water. In response, the Coast Guard Cutter 'Thetis' and a good Samaritan joined forces to rescue a total of 13 individuals—comprising nine males and four females—after their vessel capsized roughly 26 miles southeast of Key West. Interviews conducted by the crew members of 'Thetis' revealed that the survivors had departed from Cuba prior to the unfortunate incident. They reported that their vessel capsized around 8 p.m. on July 5 while carrying 22 people. Tragically, the survivors indicated that nine individuals, consisting of seven males and two females, remain unaccounted for. The Coast Guard, with the support of the Cutter 'William Trump', is actively engaged in a search and recovery operation in the area, with hopes of locating the missing persons. For further information and updates, you can view the official report along with images here: https://coastguardnews.com/coast-guard-good-samaritan-rescue-13-from-water-off-key-west/2021/07/08/